Clinical Characterization and the Caregiver Burden of Dementia in China

The prevalence of dementia in China is among the highest in the world, but systematic estimates of the rate of dementia subtypes and characterization of associated deficits are lacking. The primary aim of this study was to determine the clinical presentation of dementia and describe the caregiver burden in mainland China.

A 3-month, open-enrollment, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted at 48 tier-3 hospitals. Caregivers who qualified for study entry (provided amount and duration of care information), had intimate knowledge of patient status, and accompanied enrolled patients to study sites were asked to participate in an interview about patient care and caregiver burden. Caregiver burden was assessed via the Chinese version of the validated Zarit Burden Interview.

A total of 1425 caregivers completed the survey. Patients had mild to moderate dementia (mean Clinical Dementia Rating score of 1.67±0.79), and the most common dementia subtypes were Alzheimer disease (46.7%) and vascular dementia (28.7%). Among caregivers, 57% were females, 52% were patients' spouses, and 67.3% had been caring for patients for 1 year or more. Most patients required family help and lived at home or with a family member. Caregiver awareness of dementia was limited. The mean total caregiver Zarit Burden Interview score was 26.6. Observations were similar across age, gender, education, dementia type, Clinical Dementia Rating score, and duration of care.

China faces multiple obstacles in preparing to care for its fast-growing dementia population. Better understanding of patients and caregivers may mitigate these challenges by improving awareness and education.